AN NCS INTERVIEW: HIDEOUS DIVINITY

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Apr 292024
 

(Daniel Barkasi has brought us a fantastic interview with Enrico Schettino from the Italian death metal powerhouse Hideous Divinity, whose newest album, reviewed at NCS here, is out now on Century Media Records.)

Some have been calling recent times a sort of death metal renaissance. It’s true that an enormous amount of quality releases from bands old and new have been laying waste to our eager ears in the last few trips around the calendar. Hell, the sheer volume of new bands churning out innovative metal of the deathly variety alone has been inspiring. Death metal’s future is indeed strong. Ever leading the charge of the upper echelon is Rome’s Hideous Divinity.

Ever since their first foray Obeisance Rising in 2012, the band hasn’t slowed down a whole lot, dropping four albums that have continuously set high standards for both themselves and their peers. On to album number five, we have Unextinct, which stands out as their most ambitious, from a band who haven’t quite sat still record to record. It’s a massive album that goes straight for the throat, all while displaying multiple layers of intricate craftsmanship that adds significantly to the whole.

We got the opportunity to have a chat with lead vocalist Enrico Schettino on a myriad of subjects. From the obvious regarding all aspects of Unextinct, the absolutely wild “Against the Sovereignty of Mankind” throat cam video, what’s next (including a hint of an upcoming tour), and an odd question to attempt a practical joke on their incredibly cool manager Tito. We hope you enjoy – and pick up the damn album! Continue reading »

OBSCURITIES – VOLUME IV: BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH

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Apr 082024
 

(We present another one of Dan Barkasi‘s monthly collections of reviews and recommended music, taking stock of 8 records that saw release in March.)

The year is moving quickly, isn’t it? March brings us the reminder of Julius Caesar’s big mistake, the conclusion of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 (Heja BVB), and some of the final episodes of the timeless Curb Your Enthusiasm. Whilst I agree with most of Larry David’s neurotic observations, we have to especially take his side on the cheese debate. Also, text chains are the worst. But, we could go on all day. Kevin P and Madder Mortem know the score.

We’re a quarter of the way through already, and the volume of releases is on a steady upward trajectory. That leaves a metric ton of music to take in – not that we’re complaining, mind you – in order to dig out a smattering of quality stuff that may be hiding between some of the more obvious heavy hitters. The month also brought its share of puzzling releases – Coffin Storm is the sonic equivalent of melatonin – but thankfully, there was more quality than not from the bigger acts on down. Continue reading »

GOST: “PROPHECY”

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Mar 082024
 

(Yesterday we presented Daniel Barkasi‘s interview of Texas-based Gost, and today we deliver his review of Gost‘s new album Prophecy on the day of its release by Metal Blade Records.)

The connection between metal and electronic music is an alluring one; both have existed side-by-side for decades. There’s always been some similarities in the aesthetic and structure of specific forms of each. One of the latest phenomena is the synthwave genre, and more specifically for this review, it’s where a sub-genre known as darksynth emerged. A caustic and menacing method of synth music, many have been gripped by its extremely heavy sounds and dark themes.

One of the most heralded innovators of that style is Gost, who has carved a large following through the last 11 years, never producing the same album twice. Early works centered around more Satanic subjects and vigorous sounds, while more recent albums such as Rights of Love and Reverence portray more on the personal side with gothic/industrial conventions. New album Prophecy is a merging of both subjects and nearly all sonic inclinations of Gost’s career, resulting in a familiar-yet-fresh album that continues to position the project further into its own air. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: GOST

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Mar 072024
 

(We’re grateful to Daniel Barkasi for reaching out to Gost, and to Gost for participating in the discussion with Dan that we now present, on the eve of release of Gost‘s new album on Metal Blade. We’ll present Dan‘s review tomorrow.)

To those familiar with the darker side of synthwave, no doubt Gost has crossed your listening pathways. Also known as James Lollar, the Texas native exploded onto the burgeoning synthwave scene with a highly unique take on the genre with debut EP Radio Macabre in 2013, soon followed by Skull. Since then, Gost has – along with the likes of Carpenter Brut, Perturbator, and Dance with the Dead, among others – spearheaded the darksynth style into existence, and ultimately, the prominence it has ascended to today.

Always on the creative forefront and never stale, Gost has amassed an impressively eclectic discography. The worlds of electronic music and metal also merge with Gost, who has dabbled in metal projects in the past, and has toured with the likes of Mayhem and Katatonia. Even a heralded performance at Maryland Deathfest in 2017. Gost stretches the boundaries of what’s possible between the two genres.

Now, with a brand new album in the form of Prophecy, Gost has returned to his bombastic early days, while not losing the industrial and gothic influences that have been integral components of his more recent work. He was gracious enough to have a chat about how the new record came to be, the contentious climate of the world today, his connection with metal music, and a variety of other interesting topics. Continue reading »

OBSCURITIES – VOLUME III: MOVING RIGHT ALONG

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Mar 052024
 

(Daniel Barkasi returns with another collection of album reviews and streams today, focusing on records that dropped in February 2024.)

Surprise – we’re back like Legia Warsaw Ultras! What in the hell am I talking about? Quite simply the height of professional level trolling, performed by Polish football Ultras. These groups can be extreme (to put it mildly), but credit is due for a move this epic. Me returning for February can’t come close, but hopefully we’ll be able to leave you with some music that you won’t soon forget.

‘Tis been an excellent month, as you’ve seen by the plethora of quality releases covered here at NCS. The end of winter is slowly approaching, and the release schedule only gets more packed in from here. Counting Hours brought the dim melancholy, Keres crushed us with a death metal onslaught, Borknagar is still soldering on at a high level, and Solbrud put out the musical equivalent of a full marathon (way less physical exertion required).

This month brings quite a sampling that’s a tad heavy on the post-black atmospheric variety, but variety is indeed the spice of metal happiness, so there’s also a mix of progressive, death, black and doom in various forms to gnaw into like a Mackinaw Peach. Just don’t lose your taste buds when they’re in season. Buford’s got your back, though. Continue reading »

SOLBRUD: “IIII”

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Feb 262024
 

(Below you’ll find Daniel Barkasi‘s review of a new album by the Danish band Solbrud, which is out now on Vendetta Records.)

Black metal has been brimming with flavors and textures to please even the stingiest of palates. Denmark’s Solbrud contains a venerable cornucopia of variety – from the morose, to the hypnotic, to the unrelenting, and many variations thereof. They also never make the same record twice. With their latest IIII, they’ve ventured into creative choices that are bold and alluring. It can be said that there are four slices to this loaded-up pie. Continue reading »

OBSCURITIES – VOLUME II: A QUICK BEGINNING TO 2024

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Feb 062024
 

(Daniel Barkasi returns today with the second of his monthly NCS columns devoted to spreading the word about musical obscurities. What you’ll find below are reviews and streams of 8 records released from around the globe in January.)

To begin, thank you to all who read the first edition of this monthly column. I’m glad folks seemed to enjoy the musical expeditions of my often wacky brain. May you discover something to your liking that’ll (hopefully) give you plenty of enjoyment and respite from the madness of the everyday hustle.

This edition covers records that were released in January, which is how we’ll be covering things month-to-month. This time, we have a cornucopia of flavors to indulge; from atmospheric, epic, and relaxing, to the downright filthy. True that the first month of the calendar is typically a relatively slow month in terms of memorable releases, but this year has started off quite favorably. Plenty of under the surface delights to tear into, so let us begin faster than Jerry Seinfeld’s supposed claim of being quite fleet of foot. We choose to run! Continue reading »

OBSCURITIES – VOLUME I: WHAT DID WE (ALMOST) MISS LAST YEAR?

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Feb 012024
 

(Daniel Barkasi, an NCS writer from long ago, has returned here with the first installment in a planned monthly column. In this inaugural edition he recommends 10 albums released last year that deserve a closer look.)

Welcome NCS readers to my first, brand new column of music that’s been bouncing around in my often deranged cranium. I feel vigorous.

What we’re going to be doing here is highlighting releases that have – at least, according to my spidey senses – slipped under the radar and haven’t gotten much attention or buzz. We’ll cover an undetermined number of these unsung heroes monthly. Most of these will be relatively current and put out within the last few months, but I also don’t want to be that rigid all the time, so we’ll do so liberally and make sure to add a release date for each entry.

For this inaugural piece, I’m going to highlight a few albums from 2023 that were unsung gems that deserve a little love, in no particular order. Continue reading »

LISTMANIA: A 2023 END OF YEAR LIST FROM DANIEL BARKASI

 LISTMANIA 2023  12 Responses »
Jan 042024
 

(After a considerable absence, we welcome Daniel Barkasi back to NCS, with the following 2023 Top 20 list to start, and more to come.)

Well, well, well, it’s been a minute. Well, other than an interview that meant the world to me with Serge of Selfgod in 2022, it’s been seven years. Why so long? Well, as the cliche goes, life happens. Burnout, mental health, huge life changes, job stuff, and many other things can derail the time and drive to write about all things heavy. No, the earth’s gravitational pull is just fine (I hope), and yes, get used to dated references and bad puns. Get used to that, or don’t, and detest my Seinfeld-obsessed self. Your call! Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: SELFGOD – SERGE STRELTSOV

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May 242022
 

 

(The world turns, people leave us, and sometimes they come back. Florida-based Dan Barkasi wrote for NCS off and on in 2014-16, and now he has returned with the following interview of Serge Streltsov, the mastermind behind Pittsburgh-based Selfgod.)

Hard-hitting, uncompromising death metal is something that most who frequent NCS are kind of privy to. Just a tad, right? Mix that up with a dash of black metal underpinnings, and you have a recipe for something awfully delicious. Enter Selfgod.

The brainchild of Serge Streltsov (guitars/bass/vocals/keyboards), who plied his trade with Necrophagia and Automb in the past, you can hear how both of those bands played a part in shaping his new project Selfgod – quite literally, as you’ll soon read!

We discuss Selfgod’s debut release Born of Death in depth, along with Serge’s own story of his Ukrainian background and how his heritage is ingrained into both his music and daily life, and how he’s doing his part to help out those affected (and how you can, too). We also discuss Selfgod’s upcoming run of dates this month, the local scene in Pittsburgh, and other interesting topics. Continue reading »

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